Teen says goodbye to bullies with beach photo

Fear can be a powerful and paralyzing emotion. One teenager recently showed the world that it is no match for courage and empowerment.

Paris Harvey of Gillingham, England suffers from a metabolic condition and was born with hip dysplasia. According to Kent Online, the 13-year-old has been called fat and mocked for "walking like a penguin" by her classmates. She said, "I got bullied in the past and after a while you start to believe what people say. I became really insecure about how I looked."

Instead of letting them have power over her, Paris faced her biggest fear -- She went to the beach for the first time in three years and stripped down to her bathing suit. Not only that, but she posted the photos on social media for the world to see.

Soon she started to feel comfortable in her own skin. "I stayed like it for a few hours and I started to feel comfortable in my own skin. I was proud afterwards. It was quite an achievement."

The fat-shaming and criticism erupted, but along with it came an abundance of positivity. "I chose to focus on the support because hate is nothing compared to love,” she said.

Watch the video to see Paris face her fear.

false

false

false

Up Next:

Thank you for visiting FOX29.com! Please click the survey link below to tell us about your experience.